Better Off
by Bookworm Till The End
Summary: Steph has a bad day.  It's better than it sounds.  I don't want to give out too much, so just read it.


Disclaimer- I own nothing. Zip. Nada.

* * *

I had officially just truthfully earned my nickname of The Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Normally I would be bitching and moaning about my infamous bad luck but right now I'm just feeling resigned.

Let me explain. This morning, I got up and ran with Ranger because I was feeling guilty about eating a whole cake last night. Joe and I had gotten in a huge fight, so I was stressed out. Look out Tasty Pastry, here comes Stephanie.

Anyways, I fell while we were running and twisted my ankle. If that wasn't good enough, I scraped up my hands and knees trying to catch myself. And to put the cherry on top, Ranger was there to see it all.

_The sky is falling and it's early in the morning but it's okay somehow. I spilt my coffee, it went all over your clothes, I gotta wear mine now._

Turns out, Ranger felt sorry for me and we walked all the way back to my apartment. When we got there, I fell up the stairs, but Ranger caught me before I messed myself up more. Unfortunately, he also decided that I was incapable of using my own feet and carried me upstairs, despite my protests and squirming.

He put me down so that I could open the door and we both went inside. Much to my dismay, he picked me up again and set me on the counter in the kitchen. He came back moments later with a first aid kit. Ranger was going to play doctor.

Ten minutes later, I was fixed up and getting ready to get in the shower.

About an hour after that I came into the kitchen to find Ranger drinking coffee with donuts sitting on the counter for me.

This made me very happy. I thanked him and sank my teeth into a Boston Crème. I managed to keep my clothes clean, until I spilled coffee all over me, burning me and entering me into a wet t-shirt contest.

After throwing the mug at the wall behind me, shattering it, and getting nicked by some flying shards and then stepping on a couple on my way to my bedroom to change, I was ready to go to sleep and wake up next Tuesday. Unfortunately, that wouldn't pay the bills.

Twenty minutes later I had added new bandages to my outfit and changed into a different jean/t-shirt outfit.

I walked out of the bedroom to find a clean floor and Ranger watching me, smirking. "I could give you some money and you could take the day off today, Babe," he offered still with the smirk on his face.

I glared at him with my best Burg glare, but he just kept on smiling. Damn those ex-army guys who are impervious to my one and only superpower.

He smiled even bigger. Oh yeah, I forgot… damn their ESP too.

"I think we should go to the office together, Babe, seeing as your latest car went to heaven and walking might be slightly dangerous for you," he said.

Ugh, mental head slap. I forgot that my car had been stolen yesterday while I was going after an FTA. That was the reason for my argument with Joe last night.

I nodded and we walked out of the door.

* * *

It was 5:55 p.m. now and I was running to my parents house so that I could avoid being late for dinner. It was the middle of January and I had only a lightweight coat and no car. I was walking from the police station after turning in my latest FTA and Lula had, once again, deserted me. I was broke and didn't have enough money to buy a winter coat so I was stuck with my fall one. I knew that I shouldn't have bought that new pair of FMP's.

I walked in the door at 6:05 to my mother screeching at me that I was late and dinner was ruined.

_And I'm always, always, always late. And my hair's a mess, even when it's straight._

I lost it. I screeched back at my mother that I was leaving and stormed back outside into the cold and started sprinting down the street, arms crossed over my chest and teeth chattering.

About halfway home I was back to walking and it started to sleet. Headlights shone at the end of the street seconds later. It was dark and I couldn't tell who it was. The streets were deserted and I got slightly panicked. Now was not a good time to be kidnapped.

God was feeling generous for the first time today. It was Ranger. He pulled up beside me and told me to get in. I immediately pulled open the passenger door and sat in the seat.

_But, so what? I'm better off every day, when I'm standin' in the pourin' rain. I don't mind. I think of you and everything's all right. I used to think I had it good, but now I know that I'm misunderstood. You would say, I'm better off in every way._

"Thanks, Ranger," I said to him. It was a lot choppier because I said it while my teeth were chattering. He noticed and turned up the heater and then reached behind him and gave me one of his sweatshirts which I put on gratefully. I was rubbing my arms fiercely while sitting in the blasting heat.

When we got back to my apartment Ranger walked me upstairs. When I got inside, I immediately started making hot chocolate for us both. My hands were shaking from cold when I tried to take the steaming mug out of the microwave and spilled it all over myself.

Ranger had been leaning against the counter, watching me. As soon as I spilled it, I cried out in pain and dropped the mug, spilling even more on myself. I had pushed the arms of the sweatshirt up to my elbows and had spilled the majority on them, burning them.

He rushed to my aid and turned on the cold water with one hand and grabbed my upper arm with the other. He shoved my arms under the water and let me go. I stood with my arms under the water while he got ice from the freezer and a paper towel to wrap it in. I turned the water off, still trying to hold back the tears and mumbled a quiet "Thanks" with my hair still shielding my face and the fact that I was trying not to cry.

To my surprise, he gently pulled me to him and wrapped me in his arms. I broke down. The day's stresses had finally caught up to me and I was miserable beyond all belief.

When my sobs had turned to hiccupping and my river of tears was turned into single tears coming every once in a while, I pulled away. I looked up at him and smiled showing my thanks before going into a violent coughing fit.

SHIT! Running and walking through the cold had probably gotten me sick. I coughed into my fist and leaned back against the counter as I tried to recover.

"Sorry about your sweatshirt, Ranger. I'll wash it tomorrow and get it back to you ASAP," I said to him when I was capable of speech.

"Keep the sweatshirt, Babe. You need it more than I do. And besides, you look good when you wear my clothes. It turns me on," he said with his wolf grin.

I smiled and thanked him before entering another coughing fit. I had noticed that my nose had begun running and my voice was scratching. My throat hurt I was becoming dizzy.

When I began swaying on my feet, Ranger picked me up and carried me into the bedroom. He sat me on a chair while he pulled down the blankets. He picked me up again and laid me in the bed before removing my boots, jeans, sweatshirt, and t-shirt. He then got a pajama set out of my dresser and helped me get redressed.

I was touched. When I was sick and on an on-again stage with Joe, he had never been so nice to me.

He tucked me under the covers again and then went into the bathroom, returning with a thermometer, Advil, and a bottle of water. He handed me the thermometer and we waited until it beeped. 102.5.

Damn, I was really sick.

I took the meds and thanked him again before drifting off into dreamland.

Three days later I woke up at 9:00 a.m. in Ranger's apartment. The morning after I burned my arm, Ranger had taken me to the doctor when my temperature had risen to 103.7. I was diagnosed with the flu. He then took me to his apartment, claiming that in order to take care of me and get some work done, I would have to stay in the seventh floor apartment. Despite my independent nature, I complied thinking that it was in my best interest and I could make it up to him somehow.

Now, I was doing much better and I planned on talking to Ranger about how to make it up to him.

I walked into the kitchen to find him dressed and eating his bagel at the table. He smiled when he saw that I was on my feet once again. "Morning, Babe. I see that you must be feeling better this morning. Lula, Connie, Mary Lou, and your mother called this morning wondering where you were. I told them that I would tell you that they called," he said.

I shrugged my shoulders, thinking that I wouldn't call them back just yet. I knew that they would want to know about Ranger and frankly, I just didn't want to share him right now.

_My friends keep calling, they say, they say I'm stalling. They want to meet you now. I tell them "Hell no!" I say, "We're trying to lay low." Don't want to lose what I've found._

He smiled a knowing smile and said, "The feeling's mutual, Babe."

I smiled too thinking about how much I usually hate his ESP. "Usually" being the key word.

"Ranger," I said, "I was wondering about how I was going to repay you for helping me out so much while I was sick."

He smiled at me. "The best way to repay me, would be to stay here with me. Try the relationship thing with me. And, no, I don't mean just sex. But, if you would rather not do that, then I don't think that you owe me anything," he said.

I was shocked. Batman wanted to try out a relationship with me!

"Not just Batman, Babe. Carlos wants to try it out too. He loves you. In fact, Batman, Carlos, Ranger, and everything that I am loves you," he said.

Back up! I wasn't shocked before, because NOW I was shocked.

I walked over to him and kissed him full on the mouth showing my answer. I sat on his lap and we kissed for a few minutes before surfacing for air.

"I love you to Carlos, Batman, Ranger, and all those other people that make you you. And I would love to stay here with you," I told him.

The rest of the day Carlos and I celebrated (ignoring the fact that I probably was still sick, but he said that he didn't mind as long as I could take care of him).

* * *

Now, 2 years later, he and I are still together. We are married and I am 5 months pregnant. And every time it rains or snows or anything in between, I remember the night that Ranger picked me up on my way home. And I get on my knees by the window and thank God for loving me as much as he did that day. I know that he must have ruined my day to show me who wouldn't be there to catch me when I fall, but who would be the one who would clear away my path before walking on it with me to prevent me from falling in the first place.

_But so what? I'm better off every day when I'm standing in the pouring rain. I don't mind. I think of you and everything's all right. I used to think I had it good. But now I know that I'm misunderstood. You would say I'm better off in every way._

And every bad day I have, I thank god for showing me what a bad day is so that I can recognize what a good day is.

Please review. They make me happy. 3

The song is "Better Off" by Ashlee Simpson.


End file.
